Category

Published on

22 Mar 2008

Abstract

Our main research interests are in determining, at the molecular level, how cell membranes are organized and how that organization relates to function. The primary molecular building blocks of cell membranes are lipids, amphipathic molecules that assemble into two opposed leaflets forming a bilayer, and proteins. Elucidating organization is a challenging problem as the components are frequently in motion while interacting weakly for short periods. The research breaks down into two general areas:

Investigate the organization of cell membranes to understand how form translates into function. Currently there is much interest in the role that lipids, once thought passive players, have in cellular function. This is due to a number of facts about lipids that have come to light in recent years: 1) There is considerable heterogeneity in lipid chemistry. 2) Lipid composition varies greatly between cell type, organelle, and leaflet. 3) There is evidence, and much interest, in the idea that lipid composition within a leaflet is not uniform as a result of the heterogeneity. 4) Some lipids provide discrete protein binding domains and thus can play a crucial role in targeting. 5) Lipid chemistry can be remodeled in the membrane by the action of proteins involved in signaling pathways. By investigating lipid-lipid interactions as well as lipid-protein and protein-protein we hope to understand how these interactions translate to diverse functions such as vesicle budding, immunological responses, and transport of ions.

Develop unique and novel methodologies for these studies. One of the great challenges in this research is the lack of an ideal analytical tool for studying the system; an ideal tool would allow one to track individual lipids in real time and identify their chemical composition. As a result, we focus part of our efforts on developing a synergy between several surface analytical techniques in order to obtain as complete a picture as possible. The techniques include atomic force microscopy, epi-fluorescence microscopy, and various surface spectroscopic techniques.

Credits

Breezed and Uploaded by Omar Sobh
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.